Cttbtain-lock foe cabbiages



UNTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL MARSHALL, OF WILMINGTON, DELAVARE.

CURTAIN-LOCK FOR CARRIAGES.

Specication of Letters Patent No.

To all 'whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, SAMUEL MARSHALL, of lVilmington, in the county of Newcastle and State of Delaware, have invented a new and useful Improvement `in Carriage-Curtain Fastenings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full clear, and exact description of the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which.-

Figure 1, is a front side view of my improved fastening applied to a carriage curtain. Fig. 2, is a side view of 'the same, one of the chafing plates being removed. Fig. 3, is a vertical transverse section of the fastening as applied in Fig. l. Fig. 4, is a front view of a yielding washer which I propose to interpose between the curtain and the chaiing plate in order to save the curtain from wear.

Similar letters of reference, in each of the several figures, indicate corresponding parts.

The lnature of my invention consists in the employment of the two metal plates, constructed as described, in combination with the button and button hole of the carriage and curtain, and with the spring fastening; the whole being arranged and used in the manner and for the purposes hereinafter described.

To enable others, skilled in the art, to make and use my invention, will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A, B, represent two metal plates, one being on the outside of the carriage curtain C, and the other on the inside of the same, the curtain and plates being fastened together by means of rivets, a, a, a. The plates A, B, have each a. hole cut through them corresponding in size andshape and location with the button hole c of the curtain, as represented in Fig. 3. By thus arranging plates on opposite sides of the curtain and having the hole in said plates come in line with the button hole of the curtain, the wearing and tearing out of the button hole @,is prevented, as the metal protects the leather of the curtain from the effect of strain and friction.

The plates A, B, it will be seen are made concavo, so that a spring stop or fastening D, may be admitted between the curtain and the upper plate as represented. The spring stop D, consists of a scroll spring which has one of its ends wound around a stationary pin (Land its other end free and terminating in a knob or handle and passed loosely down 23,036, dated February 22, 1859.

through a space e, existing between the lower edge of the outer plate and the curtain, as shown in Fig. 3.

The knob or handle of the scroll spring crosses the button hole as shown in Fig. 2, when the button is not in the button hole, and comes under the head of the button as shown in red in Fig. 2, when the button is in the button hole.

To effect the buttoning of the curtain with.V my invention, all that has to be done is to, lay hold of the knob or handle of the scroll spring, and draw it to one side so that it shall fully clear the button hole, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. l. This being done, the curtain is forced so as to cause the button of the carriage to pass through the button hole, and as soon as this is accomplished, the hand is withdrawn from the handle or knob of the scroll spring and said handle is forced, by the action of the spring, under the head of the butt-on in a manner to prevent a possibility of the curtain getting unbuttoned, unless the hand is again ap plied to the handle o r knob of the spring and said handle or knob forced aside so as to clear the button hole.

My invention renders the curtain more durable, as there is no possibility of the button hole wearing or tearing out before the other portions of the curtains become useless. It also aords great convenience, as it allows of the button holes being of a shape similar to that of the buttons and of a size considerably larger than the buttons and thus allow a ready passage of the bute tons through the button holes. And while it affords ready facility for the buttoning of the curtain, it provides against the automatic unbuttoning of the same, as the spring stop or handle passes under thehead of the button and prevents its escape through the same.

In the present method of fastening curtains to carriages at the p'oints where they are knobbed, a piece of leather is stitched upon either one or both sides of the curtain, having a small hole punched necessarily near one edge, and from that small hole, a slit is cut in both leather and curtain to admit of its being forced over the head of the knob used for the purpose; which is more or less difficult according to the weight of said leather; andit is much more difficult to take ed than to fasten, and the curtain is frequently torn by removing it from the knob; this is the state of the case while the leather and curtain are new, but by wearing a very short time, they become so loose that t-hey totally fail to answer the end and purpose of a fastening. Now the difficulty is obvious, the knob being metal, and the curtain and the leather' used upon it, to secure it, both being of soft material, the constant rubbing to which it is subjected, by the motion of the carriage, with such unequal substances as leather against metal, wears the two leathers so rapidly that in an incredibly short space of time, the means used in the present mode of securing them becomes wholly worthless and is but a prostitution of the name of fastening. And for want of a better method one that will secure the curtains at the said points while they last, the curtains are wholly lost before they are otherwise half worn out. And further, when the curtain shrinks, it is liable to tear out to the edge and, leave the knob, but with my device attached, it is maintained to its size at the knobs owing to the fact of its having a broad bearing upon it, making it much stronger than when the bearing and strain is all brought upon three-eighths of an inch of the surface of the curtain. And further it is impossible to unbutton a very much shrunken curtain in many cases; without breaking or tearing them, when fastened in the old way; because you cannot stretch it sufficiently to compensate for half the head of the knob in order to get the edge over it. But when secured by my device, no stretching is required of the already overstretched curtain, you press the spring aside and the curtain is readily slipped from the knob and easily replaced again though the curtain be very tight; this will appear by referring to the drawing. And the wear in my device being all upon the metallic fastening on the part of the curtain, against the metallic knob, the curtain is fully protected from wear at the point of fastening, while at the same time it is thoroughly secured to the knob.

TWhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The employment of the two metal plates constructed as described, in combination with the butto'n and button hole of the carriage and curtain, and with the spring fastening, the whole being arranged and used in the manner and for the purposes herein set forth.

SAMUEL MARSHALL. Witnesses:

ALBERT W. SMITH, S. RoDMoND SMITH. 

